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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — a friend
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — to grow
  21. face — part of the head
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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