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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to point toward
  15. present — the time now
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hide — to keep secret

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