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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spell — letters
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to confront
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — magic

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