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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rest — a break
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — the fruit

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