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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — part of the head

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