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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — to wash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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