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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.

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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: wax · bore · rest · bark · lie · bay · face · snap

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. face — to confront
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — to grow
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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