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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. suit — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. face — part of the head
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. scale — in music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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