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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to bend
  18. march — the month

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