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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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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: lean · rock · dip · wax · wave · track · face · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — a path
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — high quality
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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