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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fall — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — a position

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