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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.

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: ball · face · ruler · craft · fan · wax · bat · cell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — to cool the air

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