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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fine — all right
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. field — farmland
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bank — of a river
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — the sport
  24. field — a subject

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