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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 124 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. face — part of the head
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stock — goods
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — a supporter

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