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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — to recline
  5. face — part of the head
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. face — to point toward
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — in music
  17. file — a tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — clothes
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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