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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — a position
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — a break
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — to roll

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