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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — hurry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — with a leg

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