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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · face · pit · kick · mate · sharp · ball · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mate — to breed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. sharp — clever

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