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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. band — a music group
  21. squash — to crush
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — to keep secret

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