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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. rule — a law
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cue — for pool

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