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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. land — ground
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — part of the head
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — a big deal

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