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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. firm — decided
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — to shout
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. toast — bread
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — to sink

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