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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — to confront
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — in football
  20. root — of a word
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rash — on the skin

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