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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — to confront
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. clip — a video
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a path
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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