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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · board · wax · key · game · face · arm · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to confront
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a match
  6. press — newspapers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — a publisher
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — to push
  18. face — to point toward
  19. game — wild animals
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wax — to grow
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — in the ear

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