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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cell — a phone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. face — to confront

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