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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. band — a ring
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — in a race
  20. roll — a list
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. face — to confront

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