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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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