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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — the time now
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — a box
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — there
  20. chest — of your body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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