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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: root · face · wax · court · chair · pitcher · bass · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — low music
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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