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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — to grow

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