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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — the season
  15. firm — steady
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — music

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