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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a hint
  7. face — part of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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