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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — a subject
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. field — for sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a match
  21. field — farmland
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — to point toward

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