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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to confront

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