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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. dip — to sink
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wound — an injury
  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