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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — a thrill

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