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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. march — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — a short time
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — part of the head

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