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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · chest · suit · face · present · ground · hide · date

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chest — a box
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a cup
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — the time now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — there
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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