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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — to confront
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — in a computer

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