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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: ruler · cap · toast · face · fork · hand · jam · wax

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fork — in a road
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — help
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — part of the body

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