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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. mate — a friend
  3. fine — all right
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — steady
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a music group
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — thin
  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