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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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — government
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fine — all right
  19. rule — a law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — part of the head

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