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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spring — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. key — in music
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — ground

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