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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. ball — a dance
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — completely
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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