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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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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 · lie · foot · mug · face · dip · bat · season

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mug — a face
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. season — to add flavour

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