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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — a permit
  3. suit — to fit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cap — a lid
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — thin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — to spend time
  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