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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. spell — letters
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a word
  24. cue — a signal

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