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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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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 · mark · snap · wax · wind · wave · suit · bore

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to click
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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