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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a ring
  7. rock — music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. face — to point toward
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — in music
  24. mine — for digging

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