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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pit — a hole
  17. game — a match
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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