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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rest — a break
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pop — soda
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. arm — 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