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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 120 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 · bay · staff · club · rush · wax · present · tear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — a gift
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. present — the time now
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rush — hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. club — a group
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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