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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bound — certain
  4. cold — an illness
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cold — not warm
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — tied together

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