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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 120 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: pitch · can · face · spring · branch · wax · spell · bass

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — low music

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