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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — to bear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — crushed
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a hint

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