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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.

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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — magic
  6. capital — money
  7. stock — shares
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — in football
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — letters
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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