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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a list
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a cake
  14. shower — to wash
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — a path
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — part of the head

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