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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a great time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. swing — in golf
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. swing — music
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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