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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. face — to confront
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — a grade
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mark — to pay attention

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