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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 116 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — to rob
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. craft — a skill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — boats
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mug — a cup

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