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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — decided
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — a permit
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. season — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mine — an explosive

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