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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. club — for golf
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — child
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — part of the head
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — there

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