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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chest — of your body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — a permit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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