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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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