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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. face — to point toward
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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