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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mine — for digging
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rash — a series
  17. face — to confront
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — an explosive

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