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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — letters
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — magic
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — a break
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the instrument

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