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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. staff — a stick
  14. key — the most important part
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — in music
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. shower — rain
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitch — a sports field

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