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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rash — a series
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wax — to grow
  24. saw — the tool

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