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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. firm — steady
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — to come down
  10. stand — to bear
  11. land — a country
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. firm — a company
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. firm — decided
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — a line

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