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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — for catching
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. charge — in control
  8. net — in sport
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — a price
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — after costs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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