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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — the underground
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to point toward
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lean — to bend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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