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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — certain
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — to confront
  24. lean — to bend

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