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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — part of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — goods
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a dance
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — shares
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. face — to confront

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