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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — music
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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