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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kid — child
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bear — the animal

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