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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — government
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — the fish
  20. shower — rain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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