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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ground — a position
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chest — a box
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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