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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — army training
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. face — part of the head
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cap — a hat
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — of the sea

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