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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rash — hasty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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