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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — a signal
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — electric

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