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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. face — to confront
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. object — to protest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. object — an aim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ruler — for measuring

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