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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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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: mark · toast · cold · squash · hide · face · net · fine

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cold — an illness
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — bread
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — to keep secret

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