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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a tree

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