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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — temperature
  23. track — a song
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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