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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. face — part of the head
  6. band — a ring
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — for digging
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cold — an illness
  24. arm — part of the body

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