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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
468
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: fork · face · press · kick · firm · wax · bulb · track

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. face — to confront
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a song
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — to push
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. firm — decided
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fork — in a road

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