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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. face — to confront
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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