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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to sink
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — for catching

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