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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — to come down
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — a country
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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