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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — a list
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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