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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. face — to confront
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — not warm
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cold — an illness
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — a measure
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — of the sea

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