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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tear — to rip
  4. face — to confront
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. charge — a price
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — soda
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pop — music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — to spend time

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