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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — to confront
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — crushed
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — in football
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — with a leg

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