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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.

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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 · charge · calf · squash · face · craft · rest · pass

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rest — a break
  6. craft — boats
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — part of the head
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — what's left

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