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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — the tool

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