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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to confront
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — on a finger

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