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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — to confront
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — to rip
  19. track — a song
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chip — for betting

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