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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — for catching
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. net — in sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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