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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — army training
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — a practice
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — a committee
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — to get on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. game — a kind of play

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