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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — the most important part
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ground — a position
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ground — crushed

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