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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — to breed
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fine — all right
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. date — the fruit
  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