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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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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: object · fork · tear · court · wax · drill · face · lie

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. face — to confront
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tear — from crying
  24. face — to point toward

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