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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: mug · face · wax · ball · deal · game · pitcher · wake

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a face
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — to rob
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — to confront
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — a match
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. game — wild animals
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitcher — a jug

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