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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — to point toward
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — a friend
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to confront
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cap — of ice

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