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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ground — a position
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — to put up with

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