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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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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 · wax · arm · lie · pit · craft · toast · pound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. craft — boats
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — to recline
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. face — to confront
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — bread
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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