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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — to keep track
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — rain
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — a face
  24. bowl — to roll

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