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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — soda
  6. mug — a face
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. root — the cause
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. face — to confront

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