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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.

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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pop — soda
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — in control
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pop — music

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