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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — part of the head
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. date — the fruit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. face — to confront
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hand — help

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