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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
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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: mate · rock · pitch · land · wax · bank · trunk · face

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitch — completely
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rock — music
  11. face — to confront
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mate — a friend

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