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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.

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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: wound · rock · wave · foot · lie · pit · ball · bear

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rock — music
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — an injury

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