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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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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: cabinet · cold · suit · dip · scale · bound · foot · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cold — an illness
  3. face — to confront
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bound — certain
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — tied together
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — not warm
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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