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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. toast — bread
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mug — a face
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — a short time

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