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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for golf
  10. object — to protest
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — to confront
  18. club — a group
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — for dancing

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