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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: fall · wave · cue · face · lash · spell · present · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — to confront
  24. present — a gift

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