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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. lean — thin
  21. file — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. face — part of the head
  24. sharp — exactly

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