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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.

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: mark · game · mouse · lash · mine · wax · arm · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — part of the head

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