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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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