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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: shower · safe · net · face · arm · mouse · wax · foot

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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 point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — to wash
  20. net — after costs
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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