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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: hand · bear · face · wax · wake · dip · squash · net

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — help
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — to sink
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — in sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hand — in cards
  22. net — after costs
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hand — part of the body

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