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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — of water
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. object — a thing
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — goods
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chair — a leader

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