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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. suit — in cards

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