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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 play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — the time now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — there
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — to get on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fall — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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