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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. face — to confront
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — the sport
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — of a word
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — a grade
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — to crush
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the vegetable

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