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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. roll — a list
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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