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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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. face — to confront
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — the amount
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — part of the head

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