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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · fall · face · race · mine · current · wax · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to point toward
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. current — electric
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — the season
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — for digging

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