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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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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: face · lie · saw · bay · hand · wax · craft · can

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — boats
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. saw — the tool

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