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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: lie · straw · wax · file · face · key · nail · vault

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a document
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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