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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pit — a hole
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. face — to confront
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — wild animals

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