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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: foot · row · arm · pop · coach · face · wax · ball

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a great time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — to confront
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — music
  24. foot — part of the body

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