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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. row — to paddle
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — to confront
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. row — a line
  24. tear — from crying

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