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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — a group
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a ring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cap — of ice
  12. club — for golf
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cap — a lid
  16. club — for dancing
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — what's left

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