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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tube — a container
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — to confront
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — animal skin

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