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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. field — farmland
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — what's left
  7. firm — decided
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. firm — steady
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — a permit

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