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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.

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: spell · prune · bay · wax · face · temple · suit · degree

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. suit — clothes
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — in cards
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. degree — from a university
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. degree — an amount
  24. spell — magic

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