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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to confront
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. swing — music
  24. file — a document

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