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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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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. toast — bread
  6. game — a match
  7. present — the time now
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — there
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal

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