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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — a country
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a document
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fork — in a road
  21. file — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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