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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — a position
  3. object — to protest
  4. band — a music group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. band — a ring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — a group

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