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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. face — part of the head
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — temperature

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