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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — to confront
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — a contest
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pass — a permit

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