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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — of a king
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — part of the head

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