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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 120 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: squash · bay · dip · wax · face · suit · fan · trunk

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to confront
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — in cards

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