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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — to confront
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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