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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 116 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 · rock · wax · wave · present · tear · bay · cabinet

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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