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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — the earth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wake — a trail
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rule — a law
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. march — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of a tree

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