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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — of water
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — letters
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — obliged
  24. can — a tin

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