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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. deal — to handle
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. face — to confront
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — a permit

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