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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: face · mouse · ground · wax · bank · cabinet · game · pass

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — a match
  24. bank — for money

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