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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · chair · sharp · mug · mate · march · face · rest

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. march — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fine — all right

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