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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. clip — for paper
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to confront
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — for dancing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. clip — to cut
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — a video
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — a big deal

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