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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. scale — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. face — to point toward
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wind — moving air
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — a law
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rule — government
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kid — child
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kid — to tease
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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