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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wax — to grow
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — the time now
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — size or range
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — a cake
  19. present — there
  20. race — a contest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — in music
  23. roll — a list
  24. race — humankind

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