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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — all right
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — the season
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. face — part of the head
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — a break
  22. drill — army training
  23. spring — of water
  24. drill — the tool

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