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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — of ice
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mug — to rob
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cap — a hat
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — a face
  20. game — a match
  21. face — to confront
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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