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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — a company
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — part of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to confront

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