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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. face — to confront
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — a cup
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. object — to protest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. mug — a face
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — a cake
  24. object — an aim

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