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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. band — a ring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. object — to protest
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. roll — a list
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. object — a thing
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — part of the head

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