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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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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: mug · wax · stem · safe · snap · deal · ruler · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. deal — an agreement

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