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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.

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: bear · net · bass · cabinet · saw · cell · face · wax

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — low music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — after costs

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