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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: chair · roll · hide · court · jam · bear · dip · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. court — of law
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — for sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. court — of a king
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. face — part of the head

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