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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: wax · lash · spring · face · deal · suit · stick · cabinet

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. deal — a big deal

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