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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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — thin
  3. firm — decided
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — happening now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — electric
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cap — a lid
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — a company

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