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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — decided
  4. bass — the fish
  5. shower — rain
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — a stone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bass — low music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to click
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — a box
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chest — of your body

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