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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — money
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — for catching
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a round shape

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