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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — a measure
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — crushed
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — an untruth

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