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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.

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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: lash · rock · rash · rest · face · deal · wax · cold

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — an illness
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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