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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — low music
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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