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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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