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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — in sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a face
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. net — for catching
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to point toward

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