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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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