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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. staff — employees
  24. bank — of a river

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