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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: pound · mark · wax · temple · snap · rush · face · wave

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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