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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a song
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — a face
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — money

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