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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — to cut
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spell — a short time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bear — to put up with

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