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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — a friend
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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