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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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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: ball · track · bore · roll · face · wake · stand · stick

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — a song
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. face — to point toward
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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