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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — to handle
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — part of the head
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — help
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. face — to point toward

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