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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — to confront
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. band — a music group
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pop — music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — to point toward
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a ring
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — soda

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