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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. spell — magic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bat — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — a cup
  8. land — ground
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — a country
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to confront
  24. mug — a face

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