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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 120 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to confront
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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