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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: wave · bowl · bound · land · toast · mate · rush · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. face — to confront
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — ground
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — bread
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — obliged
  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