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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — electric
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — of water
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — to visit

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