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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. hand — help
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — a series
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. game — a match
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. game — wild animals

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