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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: racket · lie · wax · kick · mark · toast · wound · face

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — to confront
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — a grade

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