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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: hide · mine · toast · wax · fork · face · racket · fan

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. toast — bread
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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