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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of law
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pound — a weight
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — of a king
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a signal
  24. court — for sport

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