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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — thin

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