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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: scale · bore · face · net · tube · wax · key · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — the most important part
  17. net — after costs
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — for weighing

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