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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. root — of a word
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — to grow
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — the cause
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — clothes

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