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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fine — all right
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — rain
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a great time
  12. face — to confront
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — part of the head

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