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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: pass · face · field · fork · arm · root · clip · wax

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. clip — for paper
  7. field — a subject
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — to grow
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. root — of a word
  24. clip — a video

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