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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. spell — magic
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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