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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — of the year
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — to confront
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — certain
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — to point toward

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