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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ground — crushed
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your body

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