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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · mate · face · pass · game · track · ruler · can

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — a song
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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