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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — a partner
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a friend
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — to confront
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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