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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — to crush
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — the sport
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. track — a path
  12. face — to point toward
  13. last — final
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. last — finally
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rock — to move gently

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