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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. face — to confront
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — a stone
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — a cup
  16. band — a ring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mug — a face
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — thin
  23. band — a music group
  24. rock — music

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