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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — in football
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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