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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · fork · dip · swing · rash · face · wax · mine

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. swing — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — to play on
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — to grow

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