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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — completely
  13. charge — in control
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — a face
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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