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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — for digging
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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