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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — ground
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. land — a country
  24. present — there

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