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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. face — to confront
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a song
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — for a computer

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