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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — a permit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — in music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. toast — bread
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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