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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — help
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — the fruit

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