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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chip — to eat
  8. shower — rain
  9. ball — a great time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mine — for digging

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