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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wax — to grow
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — to wash
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — in the ear

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