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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — a price
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — a match
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — part of the head
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — the underground

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