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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mark — a grade
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — in sport
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fine — all right
  13. file — a document
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — an agreement

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