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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 120 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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tube — a container
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. craft — a skill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fine — high quality

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