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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — the time now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ground — a position
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. track — a song
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ground — crushed
  20. face — to point toward
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. track — to keep track

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