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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bound — tied together
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — certain
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. safe — out of danger

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