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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 120 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: clip · stand · present · rash · spell · wax · lie · face

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. clip — to cut
  9. present — a gift
  10. face — to point toward
  11. present — there
  12. spell — magic
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. clip — a video

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