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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.

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: face · rash · stick · wax · land · dip · deal · spring

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — hasty
  15. land — a country
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — the season

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