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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — to point toward
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — part of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — to keep track

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