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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ground — crushed
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ground — a position

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