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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · wave · pit · saw · mate · bat · fan · mark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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