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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — a path
  4. face — part of the head
  5. march — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. land — to come down
  9. face — to point toward
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. land — ground
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — the month

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