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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mug — to rob
  8. capital — a city
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — money
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chest — a box
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — a face
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a cup
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — a trace

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