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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: charge · cap · trunk · wax · face · dip · ground · board

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — to grow
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — a price
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ground — a position
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. board — to get on
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. board — a committee
  24. cap — of ice

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