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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. face — to point toward
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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