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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · face · suit · date · wax · bowl · foot · chest

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chest — a box
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. foot — a measure
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rule — a law
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — clothes
  20. face — part of the head
  21. suit — to fit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. date — the fruit

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