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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitch — completely
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — a match
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to point toward

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