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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — the season
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fall — to drop

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