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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — temperature
  12. face — to point toward
  13. march — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — to fit
  24. march — the month

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