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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chair — a leader
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. track — a path
  7. pitch — completely
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — a song
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. face — to confront

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