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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fall — the season
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mug — a cup
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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