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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — a box
  11. rock — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fine — a penalty

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