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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: hide · rule · fork · cell · wax · face

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — government
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. face — to confront
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — a phone

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