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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — in sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fine — all right
  23. roll — a list
  24. fine — a penalty

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