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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — a path
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pass — to succeed

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