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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — thin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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