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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — steady
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. firm — a company
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — on the skin

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