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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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wake — a trail
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. net — for catching
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — after costs
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. suit — clothes
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — steady

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