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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — a measure
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. roll — on a roll

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