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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — rain
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. field — farmland
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — a subject
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — part of the head
  24. shower — to wash

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