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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. saw — the tool
  3. game — a match
  4. kid — child
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. face — part of the head
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — in music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  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