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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · pitch · snap · sharp · face · leaves · wax · pass

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. snap — to click
  9. face — to confront
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pass — a permit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitch — a sports field

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