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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. band — a ring
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a grade

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