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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — a stone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — a path
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — part of the head
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — music
  22. game — a match
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — wild animals

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