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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. object — a thing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — to eat with

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