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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fine — high quality
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — all right
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to confront
  14. wake — a trail
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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