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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. field — a subject
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — farmland
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — to fit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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