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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a word
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — a container
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — to grow
  21. face — to point toward
  22. root — the cause
  23. firm — a company
  24. mine — an explosive

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