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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — a gift

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