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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
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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 · wax · key · game · face · file · rash · bear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. key — for a lock
  3. suit — to fit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — in cards
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a document
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. suit — clothes

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