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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: mark · season · face · mouse · tube · wax · bay · firm

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — decided
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mark — a trace

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