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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a partner
  20. row — a line
  21. face — to point toward
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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