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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. game — wild animals
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a signal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a match
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. content — videos and posts

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