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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mug — a face
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rock — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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