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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. drill — the tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. foot — the bottom

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