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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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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cell — a phone
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ground — the earth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — child
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. deal — to handle
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — a price
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — army training
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ground — a position

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