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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — for catching
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — after costs
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. shower — to wash
  8. face — part of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — in cards
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hide — to keep secret

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