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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — a big deal

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