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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. lean — thin
  3. chest — a box
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — part of the head
  6. toast — bread
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lean — to bend
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. kick — in football
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. face — to point toward
  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