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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 120 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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. face — part of the head
  9. shower — rain
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. suit — clothes
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to point toward
  23. shower — to wash
  24. leaves — lets stay

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