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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. last — final
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — to go on
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — to fit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — finally
  24. spring — the season

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