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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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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: firm · wax · bowl · toast · rest · mark · tube · face

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. toast — bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — a company
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a dish

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