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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rash — a series
  4. face — to point toward
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rash — hasty
  17. can — a tin
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitch — completely
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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