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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.

Make a worksheet

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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chest — a box
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. net — for catching
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. net — in sport
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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