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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a match
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. spring — of water

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