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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: wax · cap · kick · race · face · pass · ball · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — a contest
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — in football
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — to confront

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