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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chest — a box
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to confront
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — music
  24. face — to point toward

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