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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — in music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rock — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — a stone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to point toward

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