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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. last — to go on
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — part of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — final
  15. fine — high quality
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — of the year
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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