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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mug — a face
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a round shape

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