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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a friend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — a country

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