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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fork — in a road
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to confront
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hide — animal skin

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