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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — a break
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — a gift
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — a position

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