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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — a line
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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