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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — of ice
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ball — a great time
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hide — animal skin

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