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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — in cards
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — certain
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — steady
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — help
  19. bound — tied together
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — rain
  22. pop — soda
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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