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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — certain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to point toward
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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