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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rule — a law
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — the amount
  24. bear — the animal

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