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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — help
  24. face — to confront

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