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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — to confront
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — to grow

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