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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spring — the season
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — to confront
  19. court — of law
  20. shower — rain
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — a coil
  24. craft — boats

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