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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to confront
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — a path
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — a song

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