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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — help
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — in cards
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — to grow

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