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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — a container
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wake — before a funeral

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