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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. present — a gift
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pit — a hole
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pop — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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