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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. face — part of the head
  22. row — a line
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — to be able to

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