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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — crushed
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — employees
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — a thrill

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