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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — wild animals
  4. present — there
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a committee
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a match
  18. board — to get on
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. face — to point toward

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