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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — steady
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — to grow
  9. face — to confront
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — the time now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — there
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. present — a gift

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