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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. face — to confront
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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