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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — of the leg

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