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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — goods
  6. face — to confront
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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