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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mug — a cup
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to confront
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. roll — a list
  22. face — to point toward
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — a face

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