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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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Word bank
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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — to sit on

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