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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mug — a face
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — final
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chest — a box
  24. net — for catching

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