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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 124 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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