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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — a face
  7. net — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. present — there
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — the time now
  15. toast — bread
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — a container

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