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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: wax · foot · field · bass · mark · content · face · cue

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — a hint
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. content — the amount
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to confront
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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