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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fall — the season
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — to confront
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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