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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ground — crushed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — part of the body

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