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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: cue · straw · race · wax · bowl · face · foot · bore

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to tire
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. race — a contest
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — humankind
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. race — the arms race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — to drill
  24. foot — a measure

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