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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. root — the cause

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