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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.

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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 · hide · rock · bore · deal · row · face · pitch

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bore — to tire
  4. face — part of the head
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. face — to confront
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rock — to move gently

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