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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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