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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rest — what's left

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