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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. last — finally
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — a path
  20. scale — size or range
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. last — final
  23. season — of the year
  24. lean — to rest against

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