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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: face · rash · hand · suit · foot · cell · dip · mate

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hand — help
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. suit — in cards
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cell — a phone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — in biology

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