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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — crushed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. roll — a list
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — to confront

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