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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. toast — bread
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — to cool the air

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