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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 · wind · tear · key · rock · lash · wax · current

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — music
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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