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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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