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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — certain
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — humankind
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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