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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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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: face · wave · rock · mine · wind · prune · temple · dip

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rock — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. prune — to trim

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