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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 124 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — final
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go on

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