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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — the time now
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. squash — to crush
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — a gift
  24. squash — the sport

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