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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — in sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — a leader

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