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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a handicraft

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