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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. roll — a list
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — clever

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