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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — to grow
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. root — the cause
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — part of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a line
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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