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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — letters
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. suit — to fit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to confront
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. face — to point toward

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