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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. field — farmland
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. face — to point toward
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. face — to confront
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — the tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — a practice

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