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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · present · face · spell · mine · lean · sharp · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — for digging
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — part of the head
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — final
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to confront

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