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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — the season
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — a box
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — of your body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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