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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to point toward

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