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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spring — of water
  9. face — to point toward
  10. field — for sport
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — music
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — a permit
  24. face — part of the head

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