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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. club — a group
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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