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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — finally
  16. sharp — clever
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — to go on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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