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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to confront
  11. pop — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. shower — rain
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pop — to visit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — a permit
  21. shower — to wash
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pass — to succeed

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