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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — a container
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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