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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. present — there
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — of the year
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. present — the time now
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to confront
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. face — part of the head

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