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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to confront
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rock — a stone
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. net — for catching
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — the time now
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitch — completely
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. present — there
  24. pitch — a sports field

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