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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — a friend
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — a gift
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — part of the body

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