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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — a face
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fall — the season
  24. rush — hurry

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