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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — a line
  3. face — to point toward
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. face — to confront
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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