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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: wax · lie · saw · wave · charge · drill · roll · face

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. roll — a cake
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — a list

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