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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — to recline
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mate — a friend

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