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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — a match
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — a big letter

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