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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. face — part of the head
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to confront
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fall — to drop

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