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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — the time now
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. file — a line of people
  14. present — a gift
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chip — to eat
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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