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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. face — to confront
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rash — hasty
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — the fruit

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