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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kid — child
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. last — to go on
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. last — finally

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