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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · object · straw · face · stand · ball · wave · drill

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. drill — army training
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — the tool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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