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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — to confront
  5. capital — a city
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — a skill
  24. degree — from a university

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