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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 116 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — to recline
  6. face — to confront
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth

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