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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — a phone
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. object — an aim
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spring — of water
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spring — the season
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. object — a thing

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