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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. face — to point toward
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — music
  9. craft — boats
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — to visit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. face — to confront
  19. toast — bread
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. face — part of the head

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