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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: patient · prune · wax · ruler · bass · face · court · pound

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. face — to confront
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to point toward

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