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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: wax · jam · racket · pitch · mouse · face · prune · tube

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitch — completely
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. face — to point toward
  24. jam — in traffic

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