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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: wave · jam · cue · lie · ground · face · bay · staff

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — a hint
  16. face — part of the head
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — to confront
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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