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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. drill — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — animal skin

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