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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — a country
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — to come down
  24. face — part of the head

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