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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. face — to confront
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a city
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. capital — money
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — low music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — of the sea

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