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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. root — of a plant
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — bread
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. straw — a straw man
  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