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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: deal · face · suit · wax · board · content · mine · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — the amount
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. board — a committee
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — in the ear

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