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

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to confront
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — a committee
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ball — a great time
  24. file — a line of people

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