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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
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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 · face · snap · wave · squash · lie · mug · fan

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to confront
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — to recline

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