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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.

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: race · spell · squash · fine · stock · face · wax · snap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. face — part of the head
  7. race — a contest
  8. squash — to crush
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — goods
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — letters
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — to confront

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