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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. face — to confront
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. chair — a leader
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to point toward

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