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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. face — to confront
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a song
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to point toward
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — to crush
  12. track — a path
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cue — for pool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — a big letter

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