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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — the underground
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. degree — an amount
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mug — a face
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

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