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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a cup

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