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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.

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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ground — the earth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill

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