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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — the season
  5. face — part of the head
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mate — a partner
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — a list

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