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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · row · tear · wax · can · fan · snap · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. face — part of the head
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. face — to confront
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — to be able to

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