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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. face — to point toward
  3. foot — a measure
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. chest — of your body
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — a box
  20. net — in sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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