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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — there
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stock — goods
  10. face — part of the head
  11. present — a gift
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — the time now
  16. row — a line
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — shares
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to confront
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com