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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 124 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — a price
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — hurry
  14. march — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a match
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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