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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fine — all right
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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