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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — a short time
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — final
  16. key — in music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — for a lock
  24. straw — dry grass

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