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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — part of the head
  17. hand — help
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hand — part of the body

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