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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — to point toward
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — to protest
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — of water
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wax — to grow

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