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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — a contest
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a hint
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — goods
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to confront
  16. race — humankind
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pop — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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