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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — a series
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. face — to confront
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rash — on the skin

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