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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kick — in football
  24. spell — letters

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