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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a match
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — in a race
  18. court — of law
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kick — in football
  24. lean — thin

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