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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. face — to confront
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mine — for digging

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