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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to point toward
  4. deal — to handle
  5. key — in music
  6. clip — a video
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — for paper
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ground — crushed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. clip — to cut
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — to visit

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