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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
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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: perch · saw · coach · game · wax · bowl · face · bass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — low music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a match
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wax — in the ear

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