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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: mark · snap · straw · rest · face · stick · bear · pop

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. face — to confront
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to click

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