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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — to grow
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — music
  11. object — an aim
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — a thing
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. face — to confront

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