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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. field — a subject
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cell — in biology
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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