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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · wax · jam · leaves · face · lash · court · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. present — the time now
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — there
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wax — to grow

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