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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: lie · wax · toast · bulb · suit · bear · fall · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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