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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: ball · stand · face · swing · pass · wax · rest · cap

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — a break
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a great time

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