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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cap — a hat
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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