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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — a lid
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to confront
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. arm — a part of something

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