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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. charge — in control
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wax — to grow
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — to point toward

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