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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wax — to grow
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — music
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — the season
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chip — to eat

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