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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. kid — child
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — to tease
  9. dip — to sink
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. root — of a plant
  24. last — final

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