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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. face — to point toward
  10. club — for golf
  11. last — finally
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to click
  14. club — a group
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — to keep track
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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