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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.

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 · degree · wax · bay · dip · fork · spell · mug

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — to confront
  5. mug — a face
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. degree — temperature
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — in a road

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