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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. face — to confront
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — to sink

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