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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — part of the head
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. land — a country
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — bread
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. land — ground
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to confront

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