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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. face — part of the head
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — happening now
  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