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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bass — low music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — for sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — animal skin

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