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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. current — of water
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — electric
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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