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

Word bank: snap · swing · stock · deal · bear · lie · face · straw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stock — shares
  21. face — to confront
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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