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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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