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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to point toward
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — humankind
  17. face — to confront
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to succeed

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