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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — an aim
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. mate — a partner
  9. object — to protest
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rash — hasty
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — a thing

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