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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — decided
  7. lean — to bend
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — tied together
  12. face — to confront
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — steady
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — part of the head
  21. firm — a company
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mate — to breed
  24. club — for dancing

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