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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. track — to keep track
  12. perch — the fish
  13. track — a song
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cap — a hat
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bat — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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