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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to point toward

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