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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — an amount
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. degree — from a university
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — crushed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. game — a match
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — wild animals

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