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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — a trace

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