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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — completely
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to confront

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