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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. face — to confront
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — employees

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