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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pop — soda
  8. suit — to fit
  9. field — for sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — in sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — a box
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — a subject

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