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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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