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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — the fish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rash — hasty
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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