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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. present — the time now
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spell — a short time
  6. face — to confront
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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