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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 120 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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468
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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — in biology
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — low music
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — to eat with

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