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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — part of the head
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mate — a friend
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — of the year
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to confront
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wax — to grow

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