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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — decided
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. capital — money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — a trail

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