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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. face — to point toward
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. capital — a city
  9. toast — bread
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. band — a ring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. band — a music group

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