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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pound — a weight
  7. charge — a price
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a document
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — in control
  24. suit — to fit

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