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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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468
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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. face — to confront
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — a friend

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