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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. face — part of the head
  19. clip — a video
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. clip — for paper
  22. net — in sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a grade

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