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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — clothes
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. season — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. face — part of the head

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