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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. racket — for tennis

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