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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — happening now
  8. club — for golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — a partner
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — the amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — electric
  24. mate — a friend

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