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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fork — in a road
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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