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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · trunk · bass · face · pitch · mate · rule · wax

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to confront
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lean — to rest against

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