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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. roll — a list
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — to confront
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. capital — money
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — to point toward
  12. capital — a city
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. plane — a tool

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