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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 116 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 · lash · wax · band · face · trunk · bore · race

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a music group
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — a contest
  10. face — to confront
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. band — a ring
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lie — to recline

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