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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a match
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — to handle
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — to pay attention

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