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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. face — part of the head
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — to cut
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — a group
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. clip — a video
  14. stand — to bear
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a grade
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — to be able to
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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