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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. row — a line
  3. ground — the earth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — to confront
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — a position
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a cup

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