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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — the season
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — of water
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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