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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. suit — in cards
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a trace
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a document
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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