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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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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — to confront
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. race — the arms race
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — final
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. face — to point toward
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — all right
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — thin
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — to play 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