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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — to point toward
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — there
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. present — the time now
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the fish
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bass — low music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. club — a group

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