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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: suit · present · land · wound · wax · rash · face · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. present — there
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — of a river
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — hasty
  17. face — to confront
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — in cards
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — a series
  23. land — a country
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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