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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. face — to confront
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pit — in a race
  13. track — a path
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ruler — for measuring

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