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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. face — to confront
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. game — a match
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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