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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. scale — in music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. face — to confront
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. foot — a measure
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — to bend
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lean — to rest against

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