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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spell — magic
  12. face — to confront
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — farmland

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