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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spell — magic
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — the most important part
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spell — letters
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — in sport
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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