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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — for sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. face — to confront
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — farmland
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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