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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.

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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: dip · rush · wax · tube · key · face · land · perch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. land — to come down
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — ground
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to sink
  13. perch — the fish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. key — the most important part
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — to hurry

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