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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — a trail
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. face — to confront
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. squash — to crush

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