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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — happy
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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