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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — thin
  4. chest — a box
  5. season — of the year
  6. face — to point toward
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — in sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. field — farmland
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. field — a subject
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chip — to eat
  24. temple — side of the head

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