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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mug — to rob
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — to bend

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