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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — to point toward
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. march — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pass — a permit

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