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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — part of the head
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — to rob
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mug — a face
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a great time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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