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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to confront
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fine — high quality
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — a grade

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