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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · tube · hide · pass · mate · ball · wax · face

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. firm — a company

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