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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — army training
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — a gift
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wind — moving air

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