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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of a king
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — in a race
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ground — crushed

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