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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.

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: wind · rash · game · object · fine · face · foot · wave

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — to protest
  5. wind — moving air
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rash — hasty
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. object — a thing
  24. face — to confront

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