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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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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: suit · wax · wind · tube · face · prune · fall · ruler

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. face — part of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — the underground
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — in cards

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