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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. face — to confront
  22. craft — a skill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pound — a weight

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