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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — a cup
  10. face — to confront
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a face

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