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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — to confront
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. foot — a measure
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bass — low music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — to hurry

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