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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — to get on
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wax — for sculpting

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