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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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