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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. dip — to sink
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — letters
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. face — to confront
  19. object — an aim
  20. spell — magic
  21. ball — a great time
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — a thing
  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