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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rock — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — all right
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. face — to confront
  24. chip — in a computer

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