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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — a face
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — what's left

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