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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — a company
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — decided
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. firm — steady
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. staff — a stick
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. staff — employees

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