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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — a series
  24. temple — a place of worship

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