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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ball — a great time

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