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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: roll · lie · spell · wax · rule · present · face · rush

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — the time now
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. present — there
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — a law
  22. roll — a cake
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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