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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. face — to confront
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — to eat with

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