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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. staff — a stick
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — child
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. staff — employees
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — decided

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