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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — in the ear

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