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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: chest · wax · face · ruler · bore · current · fork · game

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chest — a box
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — to drill
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — electric
  24. chest — of your body

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