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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — ground
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — in cards
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to confront
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. field — farmland
  24. rock — to move gently

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