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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — of ice
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. racket — a loud noise

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