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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — an aim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — bread
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — a thing

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