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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fine — all right
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. face — to confront
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. net — in sport
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. net — after costs

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