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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — rain
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. net — for catching
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cold — an illness

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