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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. face — to confront
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — to point toward
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — to play on
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — a permit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — happy
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — the fish
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — dry grass

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