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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. last — final
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — to go on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. deal — a big deal

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