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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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