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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. face — to confront
  3. stem — to come from
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — in music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. last — final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. last — finally
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — to go on
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — a container
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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