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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — in music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — for weighing

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