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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — a loud noise

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