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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. present — the time now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. last — final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — to go on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — of a tree

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