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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. file — a document
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. file — a tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a line of people
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — soda

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