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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: spring · wax · pass · bound · date · suit · face · present

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wax — to grow
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — certain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to confront
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — obliged
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — there
  22. bound — tied together
  23. present — the time now
  24. pass — to succeed

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