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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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