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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.

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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: game · face · wax · bay · nail · object · perch · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wax — to grow
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — a thing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. face — to confront

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