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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: fan · leaves · chest · face · mouse · rule · wave · club

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — a box
  24. rule — to rule out

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