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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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