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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. wake — a trail
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — goods
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — in 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