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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. face — part of the head
  17. squash — the sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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