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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: face · rock · stand · track · wax · cap · can · cabinet

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — to bear
  15. face — to confront
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. face — part of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — to be able to

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