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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — a company
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a line
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — in football
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — to grow
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — to keep track

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