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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. board — to get on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — the amount
  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