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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: face · mark · spring · drill · rash · leaves · dip · wax

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — to point toward
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — to confront
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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