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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: firm · hand · face · bay · fall · lean · wound · wax

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — decided
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — help
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lean — to bend
  24. face — to confront

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