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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a grade
  3. shower — to wash
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — rain
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to spend time

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