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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — of water
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to confront

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