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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — finally
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — final
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — to go on
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — in control
  24. face — to point toward

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