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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 120 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: face · mark · stand · suit · wax · ball · chest · capital

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. face — part of the head
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — in cards
  4. capital — money
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — a grade
  23. suit — to fit
  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