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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a match
  7. face — to confront
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tear — to rip
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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