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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — the sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rest — what's left

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