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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — a coil
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — in sport

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