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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: present · stand · wax · bass · spell · dip · face · land

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — a gift
  9. spell — magic
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — low music
  17. present — there
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bass — the fish

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