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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — after costs
  3. present — the time now
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — a gift
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tube — a container
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — there
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. deal — to handle

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