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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mine — for digging
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. squash — to crush
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the sport

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