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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: stock · bear · rush · club · lash · fan · face · wax

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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 point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — for golf
  5. stock — shares
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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