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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: mouse · bear · chest · jam · wave · face · pitch · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — to confront
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bear — the animal

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