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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — a company
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — the month
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — completely
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — an explosive

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