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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 116 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
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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: lie · bear · wound · wax · spell · face

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to confront
  3. wax — to grow
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — the animal

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