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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — of water
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — electric
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wax — for sculpting

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