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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — electric
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — of water
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — in sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — happening now
  24. wave — of the sea

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