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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. court — for sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bound — obliged

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